This application claims the priority of German Patent Document 100 43 532.7, filed in Germany, Sep. 5, 2000, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
This invention relates to an air filter arrangement for a multi-cylinder combustion engine to drive a motor vehicle, preferably with opposite rows of cylinders.
A known air suction system, European Patent Document EP 0 456 957 A1, comprises a housing that, with housing segments, runs along a front and longitudinal sides of a combustion engine that has opposite rows of cylinders. The two housing segments of the air suction system, which are arranged adjacent to the longitudinal sides of the combustion engine, are provided with suction lines to whose free ends air filters are attached.
French Patent Document FR 2 385 906 (corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,922 deals with an air filter with a housing for a combustion engine into which is integrated a suction noise absorber. The housing is provided with two funnel-shaped, horizontally aligned suction intakes that empty into the annular chambers of the housing. A comparable design is shown in EP 0 242 797 B1; of course, the suction intakes are equipped with control flaps there.
An object of the invention is to provide an air filter arrangement for a combustion engine that can be installed in a motor vehicle and that, in particular, will be optimized regarding throughflow, space requirement and acoustics.
This object is achieved according to the invention by providing an air filter arrangement for a multicylinder combustion engine to drive a motor vehicle, with opposite rows of cylinders, that has an air filter housing with two inlet connection pieces and that receives an air filter, wherein the inlet connection pieces are connected to raw air chambers of the air filter housing, which are connected with a clean air chamber via interspersed air filters, from which clean air chamber there is provided a feeder line to the combustion engine.
Other features of preferred embodiments of the invention are described herein and in the claims.
An important advantage to be achieved with the help of the invention is to be seen in the following: The air filter arrangement, assuming a corresponding design of a motor vehicle between a superstructure and a combustion engine without impairing the free shaping of the latter, can be arranged in a spatially favorable manner. The air filter arrangement can be specifically coordinated in acoustic terms in a simple manner. Advantageous air conduction is also made possible by the fact that the air is moved with throughflowxe2x80x94with comparatively low counterpressurexe2x80x94of the air filters from the raw air chambers into the clean air chamber and from there into the feeder line that is connected with the combustion engine. This air conduction is also supported by the arrangement and design of the two inlet connection pieces and the feeder line. Moreover, on the basis of its structural design, the air filter housing permits a series of solutions, including those of an aesthetic kind. Finally, considering the space conditions, the air filters can be optimized regarding the air filter surface and their integration into the connection devices represents an excellent solution.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.